Studied by 300 people
MCQ's from unit 1 all the way to the end of unit 5
THE CONSTELLATION HERCULES, NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT GREEK MYTHICAL HERO. PAGE FROM A 1430 COPY OF THE BOOK OF FIXED STARS, AN ASTRONOMY BOOK WRITTEN BY A TENTH CENTURY MUSLIM SCIENTIST
The sponsoring of scholarship by Turkic dynasties, such as the Timurids, best shows that, in the period circa 1200–1450, scholarly activities in the Muslim world continued despite the
(A) conquest of Baghdad by the European Crusaders
(B) expansion of the Song dynasty into Muslim Central Asia
(C) Byzantine reconquest of Palestine and Lebanon
(D) fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate
(D) fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate
Muslim scholars’ incorporation of cultural and intellectual influences from pre-Islamic societies can best be used as evidence that
(A) most educated Muslims continued to speak European languages well into the fifteenth century
(B) European merchants had established trade outposts throughout Muslim Central Asia
(C) Muslim scientists rejected the contributions of scientists from other cultures as heretical
(D) Muslim states and empires were central to the processes of intellectual transfer in Eurasia
d
Muslim scientists in the period before 1450 C.E. generally participated in intellectual and scholarly exchanges with neighboring cultures by
(A) being the recipients of funding from foreign rulers
(B) serving strictly as copyists of earlier works that otherwise would have been lost
(C) expanding upon the legacy of earlier scientific works by conducting their own research
(D) learning from the superior scientific knowledge of medieval western European scientists
c
“If it were asked, why do we accept the theory of contagion, when already the divine law has refuted the notion of contagion, we will answer: The existence of contagion has been proved by experience, deduction, the senses, observation, and by unanimous reports. And it is not a secret to whoever has looked into this matter or has come to be aware of it that those who come into contact with plague patients mostly die, while those who do not come into contact survive. And amidst the horrible afflictions that the plague has imposed upon the people, God has afflicted the people with some learned religious scholars who issue fatwas* against fleeing the plague, so that the quills with which the scholars wrote these fatwas were like swords upon which the Muslims died. In conclusion, to ignore the proofs of plague contagion is an indecency and an affront to God and holds cheap the lives of Muslims.”
*rulings on Islamic law
Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, A Very Useful Inquiry into the Horrible Sickness, Granada, Spain, 1349–1352
The passage by al-Khatib best illustrates which of the following?
(A) The literary tradition of long-distance travelers in the Islamic world
(B) The growth of scientific thought and innovation in Muslim Spain
(C) The impact of Christian attempts to reconquer Spain from the Muslims
(D) The efforts of Islamic missionaries to spread their faith along trade routes
B
TYPICAL SAILING ROUTES AND SCHEDULES OF OMANI MERCHANTS TRAVELING TO EAST AFRICA AND CHINA FROM MUSCAT, CIRCA 1400 C.E.
Based on the maps and your knowledge of world history, which of the following best describes the effect of the spread of Islam on Indian Ocean trade?
(A) It led to the expansion and intensification of commerce along already existing trade routes.
(B) It led to the disappearance of previously established trade networks.
(C) It led to an expansion of land-based caravan trade but also to a decline of maritime trade.
(D) It led to the first creation of trade links between previously isolated world regions.
A
*MUGHAL AND OTTOMAN FORCES*
The two dynasties whose expansions are illustrated by the images shared which of the following?
A) Their rulers claimed to be descended from the Mongol ruling family of Chinggis Khan
(B) Their rulers were recognized as caliphs by most Muslims
(C) Their rulers were descended from Turkic peoples of Central Asian descent
(D) Their rulers claimed power by virtue of protecting Dar al-Islam from European
C
“O King! The city of Madurai was famed for its sweet beauty, but has now become the city of wild animals since the Muslims conquered it [in 1335]. Its famed Hindu temple has been reduced to rubble. The mighty Kaveri River used to flow in its proper channels because our noble Hindu rulers of the past had curbed it with dams. But now, the river flows without discipline like her new Muslim lords because the dams have been damaged beyond repair.
My Lord, it is hard to say whether we get more troubled by hearing the owls that now live in our abandoned gardens, or get more perturbed by the Persian language uttered by the pet-parrots from the houses of the Muslims. There is no agriculture left, as the angry Lord Indra* has stopped sending rains. My King! The Vedas have disappeared. With dharma gone, character and nobleness have disappeared.
My king, this sword that you hold is now placed into your lotus-hands by divine providence. Take it and without further delay uproot from my lands this Muslim kingdom. Go forth my dear Lord, win your victory, and establish One Hundred Victory Pillars!”
*the Hindu god of the heavens who brings thunder and rain
Speech of a female petitioner from the South Indian city of Madurai made at the court of the king of Vijayanagara, a Hindu empire in South India. The speech is recorded in a fourteenth-century poem written by a princess of Vijayanagara describing Vijayanagara’s conquest of the Muslim sultanate of Madurai in 1378.
Which of the following best describes a claim made in the first paragraph?
(A) Hindu rulers had constructed irrigation works to control the Kaveri River.
(B) Wild animals destroyed Madurai’s Hindu temple.
(C) The Kaveri River flooded and destroyed the city of Madurai.
(D) The city of Madurai’s Hindu temple was renowned for its beauty.
A
“O King! The city of Madurai was famed for its sweet beauty, but has now become the city of wild animals since the Muslims conquered it [in 1335]. Its famed Hindu temple has been reduced to rubble. The mighty Kaveri River used to flow in its proper channels because our noble Hindu rulers of the past had curbed it with dams. But now, the river flows without discipline like her new Muslim lords because the dams have been damaged beyond repair.
My Lord, it is hard to say whether we get more troubled by hearing the owls that now live in our abandoned gardens, or get more perturbed by the Persian language uttered by the pet-parrots from the houses of the Muslims. There is no agriculture left, as the angry Lord Indra* has stopped sending rains. My King! The Vedas have disappeared. With dharma gone, character and nobleness have disappeared.
My king, this sword that you hold is now placed into your lotus-hands by divine providence. Take it and without further delay uproot from my lands this Muslim kingdom. Go forth my dear Lord, win your victory, and establish One Hundred Victory Pillars!”
*the Hindu god of the heavens who brings thunder and rain
Speech of a female petitioner from the South Indian city of Madurai made at the court of the king of Vijayanagara, a Hindu empire in South India. The speech is recorded in a fourteenth-century poem written by a princess of Vijayanagara describing Vijayanagara’s conquest of the Muslim sultanate of Madurai in 1378.
A historian would most likely cite which of the following claims made in the second paragraph to demonstrate that Hindu teachings influenced the development of South Asian societies?
(A) There is no agriculture left because Indra now supports the Muslims.
(B) The absence of dharma has caused nobleness and character to disappear.
(C) The Hindu citizens of Madurai are perturbed by hearing parrots speaking Persian.
(D) The Hindu citizens of Madurai protect the owls in their gardens because they are considered to be sacred birds.
B
“O King! The city of Madurai was famed for its sweet beauty, but has now become the city of wild animals since the Muslims conquered it [in 1335]. Its famed Hindu temple has been reduced to rubble. The mighty Kaveri River used to flow in its proper channels because our noble Hindu rulers of the past had curbed it with dams. But now, the river flows without discipline like her new Muslim lords because the dams have been damaged beyond repair.
My Lord, it is hard to say whether we get more troubled by hearing the owls that now live in our abandoned gardens, or get more perturbed by the Persian language uttered by the pet-parrots from the houses of the Muslims. There is no agriculture left, as the angry Lord Indra* has stopped sending rains. My King! The Vedas have disappeared. With dharma gone, character and nobleness have disappeared.
My king, this sword that you hold is now placed into your lotus-hands by divine providence. Take it and without further delay uproot from my lands this Muslim kingdom. Go forth my dear Lord, win your victory, and establish One Hundred Victory Pillars!”
*the Hindu god of the heavens who brings thunder and rain
Speech of a female petitioner from the South Indian city of Madurai made at the court of the king of Vijayanagara, a Hindu empire in South India. The speech is recorded in a fourteenth-century poem written by a princess of Vijayanagara describing Vijayanagara’s conquest of the Muslim sultanate of Madurai in 1378.
Which of the following is a claim made by the petitioner in the third paragraph?
(A) The gods will directly accompany the king in his conquest of the Madurai Sultanate.
(B) The king has the support of the gods in his efforts to drive Muslims out of Madurai.
(C) A prophecy has shown that the king will conquer the Madurai Sultanate.
(D) The king should establish victory pillars after his conquest.
B
Which of the following was the main reason that Buddhist thought had important social implications for South Asia?
(A) It encouraged larger family size.
(B) Its followers were incorporated into the Brahman caste.
(C) It challenged hierarchies based on caste.
(D) It reinforced the idea of obedience to the emperor as a means to salvation.
C
The ninth-century monument pictured above, located on the island of Java in present-day Indonesia, best exemplifies which of the following historical processes?
(A) The conflict between secular and religious principles of government
(B) The spread of universalizing religions beyond their places of origin
(C) The rejection of universal religions by rulers wishing to protect local religious practices
(D) The growth of popular religion
B
As Islam spread between 1200 and 1600, it affected gender relations in which of the following ways?
(A) Women were no longer allowed to be small-scale traders.
(B) Polygamy became widespread.
(C) Women became fully equal to men in terms of the right to divorce.
(D) Existing local customs regarding marriage and the role of women blended with Islamic models.
D
“Let the blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and his companions universally. In the year 1640 C.E. I wanted to behold the mystics of every sect, to hear the lofty expressions of monotheism, and to cast my eyes upon many books of mysticism. I, therefore, examined the Book of Moses, the Gospels, and the Psalms.
Among the Hindus, the best of their heavenly books, which contain all the secrets of pure monotheism, are called the Upanishads. Because I do not know Sanskrit, I wanted to make an exact and literal translation of the Upanishads into Persian*. For the Upanishads are a treasure of monotheism and there are few thoroughly conversant with them even among the Indians. Thereby I also wanted to make the texts accessible to Muslims.
I assembled Hindu scholars and ascetics to help with the translation. Every sublime topic that I had desired or thought and had looked for and not found, I obtained from these most ancient books, the source and the fountainhead of the ocean of religious unity, in conformity with the holy Qur’an.”
*Persian was the primary language used at the Mughal court.
Dara Shikoh, son of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, account of the translation of the Upanishads into Persian, 1657 C.E.
Based on the passage, which of the following most strongly influenced Dara Shikoh’s religious views?
(A) Shi‘ism
(B) Sufism
(C) Buddhism
(D) Zoroastrianism
B
“One of the things that struck me most in Peru was its great, splendid highways, and I wondered how many men it must have required to build them and what tools and instruments were used to level the mountains and cut through the rock to make them as broad and good as they are. It seems to me that if the king of Spain wanted to build a highway from Quito to Cuzco, I do not think that he could do it even with all of his power unless he followed the method that the Inca employed.
When an Inca king decided to build one of these highways, all he needed to do was give the command. Then, the inspectors would go through the provinces, laying out the highway’s route and assigning Indians to help build the road. In this way, the road was built in a short time from one boundary of the kingdom to the other. The Inca rulers built many of these roads and were so full of pride that when one ruler died, his heir would build his road larger and broader if he intended to set out on a conquest.”
Pedro Cieza de León, Spanish soldier and historian, Chronicles of Peru, 1553
Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author’s arguments about the quality of the highways described in the passage?
(A) They were built by men with tools.
(B) They were very broad, and some extended across the entire kingdom.
(C) There were many roads throughout the kingdom.
(D) Their construction was supervised by government officials.
B
“One of the things that struck me most in Peru was its great, splendid highways, and I wondered how many men it must have required to build them and what tools and instruments were used to level the mountains and cut through the rock to make them as broad and good as they are. It seems to me that if the king of Spain wanted to build a highway from Quito to Cuzco, I do not think that he could do it even with all of his power unless he followed the method that the Inca employed.
When an Inca king decided to build one of these highways, all he needed to do was give the command. Then, the inspectors would go through the provinces, laying out the highway’s route and assigning Indians to help build the road. In this way, the road was built in a short time from one boundary of the kingdom to the other. The Inca rulers built many of these roads and were so full of pride that when one ruler died, his heir would build his road larger and broader if he intended to set out on a conquest.”
Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author most directly use to support his argument about the king of Spain following the Inca method of highway construction?
(A) The Inca rulers constructed roads to help complete conquests.
(B) The Inca rulers only had to command their officials to construct a highway, and it was completed quickly.
(C) The Inca rulers clearly marked their kingdom with boundaries.
(D) The Inca rulers could acquire specialized tools to cut through mountains.
B
“One of the things that struck me most in Peru was its great, splendid highways, and I wondered how many men it must have required to build them and what tools and instruments were used to level the mountains and cut through the rock to make them as broad and good as they are. It seems to me that if the king of Spain wanted to build a highway from Quito to Cuzco, I do not think that he could do it even with all of his power unless he followed the method that the Inca employed.
When an Inca king decided to build one of these highways, all he needed to do was give the command. Then, the inspectors would go through the provinces, laying out the highway’s route and assigning Indians to help build the road. In this way, the road was built in a short time from one boundary of the kingdom to the other. The Inca rulers built many of these roads and were so full of pride that when one ruler died, his heir would build his road larger and broader if he intended to set out on a conquest.”
Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author use to support his argument about the pride of Inca rulers in the second paragraph?
(A) Inca rulers followed the method of dynastic succession for passing political authority from one ruler to another.
(B) Inca rulers performed religious ceremonies to bless the highways and those who traveled on them. (C) Inca rulers had officials assign men from the provinces to construct the highways.
(D) Inca rulers typically tried to construct bigger and broader highways than their predecessors if they wanted to undertake conquests.
D
Which of the following staple crops is most associated with the rise of Mesoamerican civilizations? AP
(A) Manioc
(B) Potatoes
(C) Beans
(D) Maize
(E) Rice
D
In the period 900 to 1500 C.E., the Ottomans and the Aztecs were similar in that both peoples were
(A) isolated from the major Eurasian trade routes
(B) nomadic groups that migrated to already settled regions and conquered them
(C) politically unified by the adoption of a monotheistic religion
(D) able to dominate other societies with large horse-mounted armies
B
“Wila Uma, the Inca general, addressed the Spanish [conquistadors] with the following words: ‘What are you doing to our ruler?* This is how you repay his good will? Did he not command all of his people to give you tribute? Did he not give you a house filled with gold and silver? Did he not give you his servants to serve you? What more can he give you now that you have imprisoned him? All the people of this land are so distressed by your actions, because they have lost all they possess, and their distress leaves them no choice but to hang themselves or risk everything by rebelling. Thus, I believe it would be best for you to release him from this prison to lessen the grief of these people.’ . . .
*Manco Inca, a previous Inca ruler and father of Titu Cusi, whom the Spanish had imprisoned after conquering the Inca capital of Cuzco in 1533
Titu Cusi, ruler of a regional Inca state established after the Spanish had conquered the Inca Empire, letter to the Spanish king detailing the abuses of the Spanish during the conquest, 1570
The sentiments expressed by Wila Uma in the passage most clearly illustrate which of the following aspects of the Inca state?
(A) The persistence of cultural diversity within the empire
(B) The influence of technological innovation in expanding the empire
(C) The importance of the Inca ruler to the empire
(D) The extensive territorial extent of the empire
C
“Scholars have been mesmerized by the huge extent of the present distribution of Bantu languages and could think of only a single process, an equally huge human migration, ‘the Bantu expansion,’ to explain it.... [This] scenario is fatally flawed, however, for two reasons. First it fell prey to the illusion that only a migration could fit the evidence.... [But] a language can spread without involving the migration of any communities. The second fatal error was to collapse a history which encompassed the developments of one to several millennia into a single migration event. The evidence shows that many different dispersals of single languages succeeded each other at different times, not continuously.”
Jan Vansina, historian, “New Linguistic Evidence and ‘the Bantu Expansion,’” scholarly article, 1995
All of the following statements are factually accurate. Which would best support the author’s argument in the passage?
(A) DNA evidence suggests human populations in western, central, and southern Africa share many similar genes.
(B) Linguistic evidence shows that several small groups in central and southern Africa continue to speak non-Bantu languages.
(C) Archaeological evidence suggests that iron metallurgy spread across sub-Saharan Africa in several distinct waves, separated by hundreds of years.
(D) Ethnographic evidence shows that many West African societies share common themes in their cultural and religious traditions.
C
“Scholars have been mesmerized by the huge extent of the present distribution of Bantu languages and could think of only a single process, an equally huge human migration, ‘the Bantu expansion,’ to explain it.... [This] scenario is fatally flawed, however, for two reasons. First it fell prey to the illusion that only a migration could fit the evidence.... [But] a language can spread without involving the migration of any communities. The second fatal error was to collapse a history which encompassed the developments of one to several millennia into a single migration event. The evidence shows that many different dispersals of single languages succeeded each other at different times, not continuously.”
Jan Vansina, historian, “New Linguistic Evidence and ‘the Bantu Expansion,’” scholarly article, 1995
In addition to languages, the peoples discussed in the passage are credited with the diffusion of which of the following in sub-Saharan Africa?
(A) Monumental architecture
(B) New agricultural techniques
(C) Nomadism
(D) Writing systems
A
“The East African coast was certainly kn`own to the people of Arabia by the eighth century B.C.E. In fact, the ancient Southern Arabian state of Ausan traded extensively there and may have actually held a portion of the coast. Traders who reached the coast discovered a number of potentially valuable raw materials there. Among these were spices, tortoise shell, coconut oil, ivory, and later, gold and slaves.
It was not until almost 1000 C.E., however, that the first important commercial city-states emerged along the coast. These city-states fluctuated in wealth and prestige as they competed for coastal hegemony. Because of their way of life, they tended to have a broad regional perspective. Their destinies and fortunes were at least partly determined in distant lands by foreign merchants and rulers.
Information on early political aspects of East African states remains very limited. We know that they had kings or sultans, who wielded a good deal of power. Sultans were advised by councils of princes, elders, and members of the ruling household. It seems probable that the sultan and his close relatives controlled the religious and military offices of the state.”
Terry H. Elkiss, historian, “Kilwa Kisiwani: The Rise of an East African City-State,” article published in African Studies Review, a scholarly journal, 1973.
The example of an ancient Arabian state that traded extensively and controlled territories on the East African coast can best be used as evidence of
(A) the contributions of East Africa to the development of Eurasian religions
(B) the long-term continuities in state building in coastal East Africa
(C) the importance of the East African coast in the development of African national identities
(D) the technological and logistical challenges faced by Eurasian merchants trying to reach the East
MARIA, COUNTESS OF BÉARN,* ACCOMPANIED BY SEVEN OF HER MALE COURTIERS, SWEARS HOMAGE TO HER OVERLORD, KING ALFONSO II OF ARAGON, ILLUSTRATION IN A MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED FOR THE ROYAL COURT OF ARAGON CIRCA 1175 C.E.
Archivo de la Corona de Aragon, Barcelona, Spain Mithra-Index/Bridgeman Images.
*The lordship of Béarn was located in present-day southwestern France.
The act of the countess of Béarn in the image is most closely identified with which of the following political systems?
(A) Manorialism
(B) Serfdom
(C) Monasticism
(D) Feudalism
D
MARIA, COUNTESS OF BÉARN,* ACCOMPANIED BY SEVEN OF HER MALE COURTIERS, SWEARS HOMAGE TO HER OVERLORD, KING ALFONSO II OF ARAGON, ILLUSTRATION IN A MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED FOR THE ROYAL COURT OF ARAGON CIRCA 1175 C.E.
Archivo de la Corona de Aragon, Barcelona, Spain Mithra-Index/Bridgeman Images.
*The lordship of Béarn was located in present-day southwestern France.
The image most directly illustrates which of the following features of the political development of medieval Europe?
(A) Its bureaucratization, as European rulers developed sophisticated systems of record keeping to strengthen their authority.
(B) Its decentralization, as European rulers frequently delegated authority to local subordinates.
(C) Its reliance on Roman traditions, as European rulers used ancient customs to demonstrate their legitimacy.
(D) Its ethnic and cultural diversity, as European rulers granted ethnic and religious groups the right to use their own laws and traditions.
B
MARIA, COUNTESS OF BÉARN,* ACCOMPANIED BY SEVEN OF HER MALE COURTIERS, SWEARS HOMAGE TO HER OVERLORD, KING ALFONSO II OF ARAGON, ILLUSTRATION IN A MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED FOR THE ROYAL COURT OF ARAGON CIRCA 1175 C.E.
Archivo de la Corona de Aragon, Barcelona, Spain Mithra-Index/Bridgeman Images.
*The lordship of Béarn was located in present-day southwestern France.
In Europe, political relationships of the type depicted in the image emerged most directly on account of which of the following developments?
(A) Local elites’ need for military protection from more powerful lords
(B) Local elites’ desire to expand the commercial power of local towns
(C) Local elites’ need for military assistance to eliminate religious heresies
(D) Local elites’ desire to attract new settlers to their territories
A
“To the most holy father, the Pope:
Most of our kingdom of Hungary was reduced to a desert by the scourge of the Mongols’ invasion. Now, we receive news every day that the Mongols have again unified their forces and will soon send their countless troops against all of Europe. We are afraid that we will be unable to withstand the Mongols’ ferocity in battle unless the Pope is able to persuade other Christian rulers to send us aid to fortify our kingdom.
When the Mongols invaded in 1241, we sent requests for military aid to the papacy, the Holy Roman Emperor, the king of France, and others. But from all of them we received only words of support. We, for shame, resorted to inviting pagan Cumans* into our kingdom.
If, God forbid, our kingdom fell to the Mongols, the door would be open for them to invade the other regions of the Catholic faith from the Hungarian steppes. So, the people in our kingdom cannot cease to be amazed that you offer substantial help to the Christian territories overseas, which if they were lost would not harm the inhabitants of Europe more than if our kingdom fell.”
*a people who dwelled along the steppes of the Black Sea and in Central Asia
King Béla IV of Hungary, letter to Pope Innocent IV, circa 1250
Which of the following features of Europe in the period circa 1200–1450 most directly contributed to the fact that the king of Hungary did not receive the military assistance that he requested in 1241, as mentioned in the third paragraph?
(A) The existence of numerous feudal states that were frequently in conflict with one another
(B) The development of parliaments that could check royal authority
(C) The growing political power of regional trade organizations such as the Hanseatic League
(D) The religious divisions of Europe into Protestants and Catholics as a result of the Reformation
AV
“At that time, there happened great disturbances among the lower ranks of people, by which England was nearly ruined. Never was a country in such jeopardy, and all because some commoners sought to claim liberties to which they were not entitled. It is customary in England, as in other countries, for the nobility to have great privileges over the commoners, who are bound by law and custom to plow the lands of nobles, to harvest the grain, to carry it home to the barn, and to perform various other services for their lords.
The evil-disposed in these districts began to rise, saying they were too severely oppressed; that at the beginning of the world there were no unfree people, and that no one ought to be treated as such, unless he had committed treason against his lord, as Lucifer had done against God: but they had done no such thing, for they were men formed after the same likeness as their lords, who treated them like beasts. They could no longer bear this, but had determined to be free. And if they were to do any work for their lords, they demanded to be paid for it.”
Jean Froissart, French chronicler, late 1300s
The events described in the passage represent a reaction against which of the following forms of coerced labor?
(A) Slavery
(B) Military conscription
(C) Indentured servitude
(D) Serfdom
C
From the founding of each religion, Christians and Muslims shared a belief in
(A) the principle of separation of church and state
(B) the legal equality of men and women
(C) equality of opportunity
(D) a single omnipotent deity
D
TWO SCENES FROM SOWING AND REAPING, A YUAN-DYNASTY (CIRCA 1350) COPY OF A SONG DYNASTY (CIRCA 1150) ILLUSTRATED SCROLL ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF RICE CULTIVATION IN CHINA.
Image 1:
Purchase, W. M. Keck Foundation Gift and other gifts, in memory of Douglas Dillon, 2005
Workers irrigating a rice field by powering a mechanical water wheel with their feet
Image 2:
Purchase, W. M. Keck Foundation Gift and other gifts, in memory of Douglas Dillon, 2005
Men, women, and children harvesting rice
Which of the following most likely explains why the scroll was copied for a new audience in the 1350s?
(A) The Mongol conquests caused widespread destruction to China's irrigation system.
(B) The artist wanted to demonstrate the superiority of the Song dynasty over the Yuan dynasty.
(C) Mongols adopted and spread technological innovations from regions within their empire.
(D) Chinese culture had a significant influence on neighboring countries, such as Korea and Vietnam.
C
Commerce was a key mode of exchange between which of the following pairs of political entities?
(A) The Mayan Empire and the Song dynasty
(B) Ghana and the Mongol Empire
(C) Japan and the Byzantine Empire
(D) The Crusader states and the Fatimid caliphate
(E) Venice and the Aztec Empire
D
3. The lines on the map above illustrate which of the following?
(A) Spread of Hinduism
(B) Spread of Christianity
(C) Extent of trade routes
(D) Seasonal migrations of nomads
E
Which of the following was a major cause for the growth of cities throughout Afro-Eurasia from 800 C.E. to 1350 C.E.?
(A) The spread of mercantilism
(B) The decline in epidemic diseases
(C) The rise of interregional commerce
(D) The decreasing need for agricultural workers
C
Which of the following factors helps explain the rise of urban centers and the increase in trade in Afro-Eurasia during the second half of the thirteenth century?
(A) The increase in all forms of coerced labor to build housing
(B) The decline of the Mongol khanates across Asia
(C) The reopening of Indian Ocean trade networks by Chinese explorers
(D) The availability of safe and reliable transport along land-based trade routes
D
Between 200 B.C.E. and 1450 C.E., the Silk Roads linked which of the following?
(A) The Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean
(B) North Africa and western Europe
(C) East Asia and the Mediterranean Sea
(D) The Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
C
7. Which of the following led most directly to the development of the trading network on the map?
(A) The growth of trading cities on the Swahili Coast
(B) Innovations in transportation and commercial technologies such as caravanserai
(C) The overall decline in the trade of goods along the Silk Roads
(D) The emergence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in West Africa
B
“It is widely accepted that the rise of the Mongol Empire greatly expanded trade and the circulation of goods. . . Since the fall of the Uighur Empire [in the ninth century], Mongolia was a region removed from the main trade routes. Thus the Mongols erupted into the wider world as a relatively unknown society. As the Mongol Empire dominated Eurasia, envoys, merchants and travelers came to the court of the Mongols . . . and participated in . . the exchange of goods, ideas, technology and people precipitated by the Mongol conquests.”
Timothy May, United States historian, academic article, 2016
The expansion of the Mongol Empire most directly led to which of the following political developments in Afro Eurasia?
(A) The spread of feudalism to western Europe, as the Mongol conquests greatly weakened centralized monarchies
(B) The expansion of the Mali Empire in West Africa, as the Mongol conquests destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate
(C) The collapse of previously existing states, such as the Song dynasty of China
(D) The adoption of Islamic systems of rule by Turkic states in the Middle East, such as the Seljuq Empire
C
The breakup of the Mongol Empire into separate khanates during the mid-thirteenth century was most connected to which of the following developments?
(A) The spread of the bubonic plague following the expansion of trade along the Silk Roads weakened the Mongol Empire demographically and militarily.
(B) Mongol traditions emphasized tribal and personal loyalties and made it difficult to establish long-lasting centralized dynastic rule, which led to civil war.
(C) Rebellions in China overthrew Mongol rule there and led to the reestablishment of Han Chinese rule under the Ming dynasty.
(D) The attempts of Mongol rulers to force their subjects to convert to Islam led to widespread rebellions in Central and East Asia.
B
Which of the following best describes an effect of the establishment of the Mongol Empire upon Silk Road long distance trade?
(A) The Silk Road trade declined because the Mongol merchants preferred to use maritime long-distance trade networks instead.
(B) The Silk Road trade increased because the Mongol conquests helped connect more regions of Eurasia economically and commercially.
(C) The Silk Road trade was not affected by the Mongol conquests because the tribal and nomadic nature of Mongol society meant that Mongol demand for luxury goods was virtually nonexistent.
(D) The Silk Road trade collapsed following the Mongol conquests because most trading cities along the Silk Roads were destroyed and never recovered.
B
Image 1
WOOD PRINTING PLATE CONTAINING A PAPER MONEY NOTE WRITTEN IN MONGOL AND CHINESE, PRODUCED IN CHINA, CIRCA 1287
Pictures from History/Bridgeman Images
The smaller Chinese characters on the lower half of the note say, “This note can be circulated in various provinces without expiration dates. Counterfeiters will be put to death.”
Image 2
“MONEYLENDING AT INTEREST IN A BANKING HOUSE,” THE TREATISE ON THE SEVEN SINS, MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED IN GENOA, NORTHERN ITALY, EARLY FOURTEENTH CENTURY
Heritage Image Partnership Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
The Latin text in the upper left-hand corner warns against greed.
Image 1 could best be used as evidence of the ways in which
(A) the introduction of new commercial practices fostered urban expansion.
(B) new commercial technologies helped expand literacy.
(C) imperial states attempted to expand commercial activity.
(D) commerce fostered cultural unity in some politically fragmented regions.
C
Image 1
WOOD PRINTING PLATE CONTAINING A PAPER MONEY NOTE WRITTEN IN MONGOL AND CHINESE, PRODUCED IN CHINA, CIRCA 1287
Image 2
“MONEYLENDING AT INTEREST IN A BANKING HOUSE,” THE TREATISE ON THE SEVEN SINS, MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED IN GENOA, NORTHERN ITALY, EARLY FOURTEENTH CENTURY
All of the following statements about the use of the currency shown in Image 1 in China under the Yuan dynasty are factually accurate. Which best explains why the currency often led to hyperinflation?
(A) The Yuan government forced private citizens to surrender their gold and silver and accept paper currency in its place.
(B) Excessive amounts of currency were printed in order to fund military expeditions and reward local elites.
(C) The Mongol Ilkhanate in Persia also briefly modeled its monetary policy on the paper currency printed in Yuan China.
(D) Travelers to Yuan China noted that only paper currency was accepted for business transactions.
B
The Mongol conquests of much of Eurasia in the thirteenth century tended to encourage trade along the Silk Roads primarily by
(A) opening large new markets for both European and East Asian goods in Central Asia
(B) increasing the demand for military supplies needed by the Mongol armies that occupied various regions
(C) decreasing the risk of bandit attacks and reducing the number of local rulers collecting tribute from trade caravans
(D) discouraging seaborne trade along the Indian Ocean routes that competed with the Silk Roads
C
Which of the following resulted from the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire following the death of Genghis Khan?
(A) The collapse of the Byzantine Empire
(B) The development of khanates in Central Asia
(C) The spread of Islam into East Asia
(D) Increased trade between Africa and Asia
B
“The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife’s father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him.
In 1291, Sulayman’s great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns.
In 1331, Sulayman’s great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy.”
*an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya
A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases.
The first paragraph most directly illustrates how increasing regional interactions led to which of the following developments in the Indian Ocean in the period 1200–1450?
(A) The establishment of diasporic merchant communities
(B) The establishment of new trading cities
(C) The introduction of new cultural traditions
(D) The emergence of syncretic belief systems
C
“The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife’s father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him.
In 1291, Sulayman’s great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns.
In 1331, Sulayman’s great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy.”
*an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya
A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases.
Voyages such as those referred to in the third paragraph were most directly facilitated by which of the following?
(A) A decrease in pirate activity following Zheng He’s naval expeditions
(B) Merchants’ understanding of the patterns of the monsoon winds
(C) An increase in the use of new forms of credit, such as paper money
(D) Technological transfers from Europe, such as the compass
B
“The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife’s father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him.
In 1291, Sulayman’s great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns.
In 1331, Sulayman’s great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy.”
*an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya
A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases.
The third paragraph most directly illustrates the ways in which rulers in the Indian Ocean in the period before 1450
(A) used their military power to monopolize the trade in luxury goods
(B) attempted to incorporate new territories and peoples into their commercial empires
(C) sought to spread religious traditions by patronizing merchant communities
(D) used expanding trade networks to facilitate state development
D
Which of the following societies engaged in extensive maritime trade well beyond their borders in the fifteenth century?
(A) Mesoamericans in the Pacific Ocean
(B) Bantu peoples in the Indian Ocean
(C) Chinese in the Indian Ocean
(D) Russians in the Pacific Ocean
C
Which of the following contributed to the Chinese government’s decision to stop voyages of exploration in the Indian Ocean in the early fifteenth century?
(A) Armed resistance from Arab navies
(B) Lack of sufficient Chinese goods for trade
(C) The destruction of the Chinese fleet by typhoons
(D) Government concern with domestic problems and frontier security
(E) Fear of the spread of the plague to China
D
Which of the following was the most important factor in the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia in the period circa 1250–1500 C.E.?
(A) The religious zeal of Muslim soldiers willing to die to spread Islam
(B) The activities of Muslim traders and Sufi missionaries
(C) The relative lack of interest in Islam among Hindus and Buddhists
(D) Muslim rulers’ policy of toleration of all religions practiced in their realms
B
“A strongly held misconception about the Sahara, both in popular culture and in academia, is that this desert constitutes both a physical barrier and a fundamental cultural divide between northern Africa—a constituent part of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern historical realms—and ‘sub-Saharan’ Africa, a world apart. . . . [I argue] that the Sahara has far more often served as a link than as a barrier. . . .
Prior to the end of the 16th century C.E., [the Sahara] was essential to world trade as it afforded nearly continuous communication between China, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Russia, the Mediterranean and West Africa. Trade, travel and communications between these world regions was assured by a system of caravans. . . . The 12th through the 16th centuries mark the ‘golden age’ of this trade. Demand for West African gold was at its height as the economies of the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian Ocean and Ming China expanded. . . . [In addition], the rise of the Malian and then the Songhay empires [made] the trade routes and trading cities of the African continent relatively secure, and therefore prosperous.”
Eric Ross, Canadian historian, article included in a book, published in 2011
Which of the following best explains a development in the trans-Saharan trade networks in the period 1200–1450 ?
(A) The networks became more dangerous because of religious conflict between Christian and Muslim states.
(B) The geographic range of the networks increased because of improved commercial practices.
(C) The networks were increasingly disrupted because of the growing importance of maritime commerce.
(D) The value of merchandise along the networks increased because of demand for silver and bronze from Muslim states in North Africa and the Middle East.
B
Which of the following best explains why trade along the trans-Saharan trade networks increased in the period 1200–1450 ?
(A) Innovations in previously existing transportation technologies, such as the caravan, allowed merchants to carry larger loads and protect themselves.
(B) The introduction of new commercial technologies, such as the compass, made it easier for merchants to find their destinations in the desert.
(C) The expansion of banking houses made it easier for merchants to fund their commercial activities. (D) Increasing literacy rates allowed merchants to develop more complex business partnerships.
A
Which of the following best explains an effect of the expansion of the Mali Empire on the trans-Saharan trade networks?
(A) It led to an increase in trade by imposing the merchant-friendly religion of Islam on its subjects.
(B) It expanded commerce by establishing maritime as well as overland connections with the Swahili states of East Africa.
(C) It facilitated commercial growth by expanding the number of people participating in the trade networks.
(D) It expanded commercial activity by promoting scientific and cultural exchange.
C
(A) Mali was a major source and hub of the gold trade
(B) slavery existed in the western Sudan
(C) Europeans had begun to make inroads in West Africa
(D) Mali remained isolated from Europe and the Middle East
(E) Atlantic ports were crucial for the transportation of salt and gold
A
Which of the following characterized the trans-Saharan trade by 1250 C.E.?
(A) The bulk of the trade consisted of low-priced commodities.
(B) Muslim merchants dominated the trade.
(C) European Christians became directly involved in the trade.
(D) Most trade was carried by horse rather than by people.
B
“After leaving India, we arrived in Sumatra. It is a fertile area, in which coco-palm, clove, Indian aloe, mango, and sweet orange trees grow. Local commerce is facilitated by tin and Chinese gold. The sultan was informed of our visit and sent the judge and experts on Islamic law to meet me. The sultan is an illustrious and generous ruler and a patron of religious scholars. He is constantly waging war against the non-Muslims of Sumatra, but is a humble man who walks on foot to Friday prayers. The non-Muslims of the area must pay a poll-tax to obtain peace.
One Friday after leaving the mosque, the sultan mounted an elephant and we and his entourage rode with him on horses until we reached the palace. Male musicians came into the audience hall and sang before him, after which they led horses into the hall. The horses were embroidered in silk and wore golden anklets and danced before the sultan. I was astonished, even though I had seen the same performance at the court of the Delhi sultan in India*. My stay at the sultan’s court lasted fifteen days, after which I asked his permission to continue my journey to China because it is not possible to sail to China at all times of the year.
We then traveled to a kingdom on the Malay Peninsula aboard a Chinese ship. This kingdom is inhabited by non-Muslims and contains great quantities of aromatic spices and aloes. The merchants sell Indian aloe for a roll of cotton cloth, which is dearer to them than silk. The ruler is a non-Muslim. We then left the Malay Peninsula and sailed to another non-Muslim kingdom in Southeast Asia. After seventeen days at sea, with a favorable wind and sailing with maximum speed and ease, we reached the land of China.”
*The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim state in northern India that was ruled by a Turkic elite.
Ibn Battuta, Muslim traveler from North Africa, account of his journey to China, circa 1345
The purpose of Ibn Battuta’s account was most likely to
(A) glorify himself by exaggerating the influence he had obtained over local rulers in Southeast Asia
(B) warn Muslim merchants that China was beginning to dominate commerce in the Indian Ocean
(C) encourage fellow Muslims in North Africa to participate more in maritime commerce
(D) inform his audience about the cultural, political, and economic characteristics of the places he visited
D
“After leaving India, we arrived in Sumatra. It is a fertile area, in which coco-palm, clove, Indian aloe, mango, and sweet orange trees grow. Local commerce is facilitated by tin and Chinese gold. The sultan was informed of our visit and sent the judge and experts on Islamic law to meet me. The sultan is an illustrious and generous ruler and a patron of religious scholars. He is constantly waging war against the non-Muslims of Sumatra, but is a humble man who walks on foot to Friday prayers. The non-Muslims of the area must pay a poll-tax to obtain peace.
Based on Ibn Battuta’s description of the sultan of Sumatra in the first paragraph, his point of view could most likely be characterized as that of a
(A) Sunni Muslim merchant who believes that commercial profits should be given greater consideration than religious purity
(B) Sufi Muslim mystic who believes that Muslim rulers should encourage religious coexistence
(C) Shi'a Muslim cleric who believes that false interpretations of Islam have corrupted the religion
(D) Sunni Muslim jurist who believes that a Muslim ruler should patronize the religious elite and seek to expand Islam
D
One Friday after leaving the mosque, the sultan mounted an elephant and we and his entourage rode with him on horses until we reached the palace. Male musicians came into the audience hall and sang before him, after which they led horses into the hall. The horses were embroidered in silk and wore golden anklets and danced before the sultan. I was astonished, even though I had seen the same performance at the court of the Delhi sultan in India*. My stay at the sultan’s court lasted fifteen days, after which I asked his permission to continue my journey to China because it is not possible to sail to China at all times of the year.
Ibn Battuta’s claim in the second paragraph that the ceremony that he observed at the court of the sultan of Sumatra was similar to a ceremony that he had seen at the court of the Delhi sultan in India is most likely understood in the context of which of the following developments in the Indian Ocean region in the period 1200–1450 ?
(A) Expanding trade facilitated increased tolerance of the traditions of other religious groups.
(B) Cultural exchange emerged from competition among maritime empires.
(C) Increasing cross-cultural interactions facilitated the spread of cultural traditions.
(D) Cultural exchange emerged from new patterns of regional commerce.
C
Map 1
Map 2
4. The maritime trade connections involving East Africa shown on Map 1 provided a setting for which of the following developments?
(A) The emergence of commercial credit through banks
(B) The development of the compass
(C) The spread of Islam
(D) The appearance of social structures privileging men over women
C
ILLUSTRATION IN A CHRONICLE DEPICTING A MASS BURIAL IN THE CITY OF TOURNAI, LOCATED IN MODERN BELGIUM, CIRCA 1349
(A) The end of feudalism
(B) The decline of serfdom
(C) The collapse of the Byzantine Empire
(D) The Protestant Reformation
B
(A) Christianity
(B) Buddhism
(C) Islam
(D) Judaism
C
TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200–1400
Which of the following best describes a way in which the table illustrates how the spread of rice cultivation contributed to changing the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China, India, and the Middle East between 1200 and 1300 ?
(A) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in China and the Middle East but rose in India.
(B) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined more substantially in India than it did in the Middle East and China.
(C) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in all three regions. (D) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops increased in every region except China.
C
TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200–1400
Which of the following best describes a way in which the table illustrates how an emphasis on wheat cultivation in Europe affected the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops there compared with the rice-producing regions of China and India between 1200 and 1300 ?
(A) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in Europe increased at the same rate that the total amount of land devoted to agricultural crops in China and India declined.
(B) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China, India, and Europe remained relatively stable.
(C) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in all three regions. (D) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops increased considerably in Europe and declined in China and India.
D
TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200–1400
Which of the following best describes how the table illustrates the effect of the spread of the bubonic plague on the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in Europe and the Middle East between 1300 and 1400 ?
(A) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops did not change significantly in either region.
(B) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops decreased more substantially in the Middle East than in Europe.
(C) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined substantially in Europe and slightly in the Middle East.
(D) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops increased slightly in the Middle East and in Europe.
C
THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH, ANONYMOUS PAINTING FROM FIFTEENTH-CENTURY SICILY 
The scene depicted in the painting is best understood in the context of which of the following wider Afro-Eurasian developments?
(A) The collapse of papal authority
(B) The diffusion of artistic traditions
(C) The spread of epidemic diseases
(D) The revival of classical architecture
C
Which of the following was the major contributing factor to the spread of the plague to Cairo, Beijing, and Florence in the fourteenth century?
(A) Indian Ocean trade routes connecting South Asia to China, Southeast Asia, and Europe
(B) Trade along the Mongol road system across Central Asia
(C) The collapse of the Abbasid caliphate
(D) African trade routes connecting sub-Saharan Africa with Asia and Europe
B
Which of the following most directly contributed to the decline of Eurasian urban populations during the fourteenth century?
(A) Climate change
(B) Epidemic disease
(C) Religious wars
(D) Regional migration
B
"Throughout the sixteenth century, the Safavi (Safavid) empire remained a profoundly disturbing force in the Moslem Muslim) world, dedicated to the defense and propagation of Shi'a doctrines at home and abroad. This policy implied a normal state of hostility with the Ottoman empire, punctuated only briefly by periods of peace. By the seventeenth century, however, when the Safavi empire reached its apogee [peak] under Shah Abbas the Great (1587– 1629), the fanaticism of the Shi'a revolution had faded, at least in court circles: and a lasting peace with the Ottomans was concluded in 1639."
William H. McNeill, The Rise of the West, 1963
Which would be the most useful source of evidence to support McNeill's contention that the Safavi [Safavid] empire remained a profoundly disturbing force in the Moslem [Muslim] world"?
(A) writings by Safavids about Shi'a beliefs
(B) writings by modern-day Muslim historians
(C) writings by Ottoman religious leaders of that time about the Safavids
(D) writings by archaeologists about discoveries of Safavid and Ottoman religious
A
"Throughout the sixteenth century, the Safavi (Safavid) empire remained a profoundly disturbing force in the Moslem Muslim) world, dedicated to the defense and propagation of Shi'a doctrines at home and abroad. This policy implied a normal state of hostility with the Ottoman empire, punctuated only briefly by periods of peace. By the seventeenth century, however, when the Safavi empire reached its apogee [peak] under Shah Abbas the Great (1587– 1629), the fanaticism of the Shi'a revolution had faded, at least in court circles: and a lasting peace with the Ottomans was concluded in 1639."
William H. McNeill, The Rise of the West, 1963
Today, Iran and Turkey are often political rivals. This passage suggests that this rivalry is based on historical conflicts over
(A) democracy and political extremism
(B) control of land and natural resources
(C) the role of leaders such as the shah and emperor
(D) how to practice Islam correctly
D
"Throughout the sixteenth century, the Safavi (Safavid) empire remained a profoundly disturbing force in the Moslem Muslim) world, dedicated to the defense and propagation of Shi'a doctrines at home and abroad. This policy implied a normal state of hostility with the Ottoman empire, punctuated only briefly by periods of peace. By the seventeenth century, however, when the Safavi empire reached its apogee [peak] under Shah Abbas the Great (1587– 1629), the fanaticism of the Shi'a revolution had faded, at least in court circles: and a lasting peace with the Ottomans was concluded in 1639."
William H. McNeill, The Rise of the West, 1963
What brought an end to the "normal state of hostility between the Safavids and Ottomans mentioned in the passage?
(A) Safavid fervor for its brand of Islam slowly declined until the two empires stopped fighting.
(B) The constant fighting increased the respect of the empires for each other, which eventually led to peace between them.
(C) Both sides united to fight against European Christian forces that threatened them.
(D) The Ottomans slowly gained greater power and were able to stop the agitation by the Safavids.
A
MINIATURE ILLUSTRATION INCLUDED IN A PERSIAN HISTORY OF THE MUGHAL CONQUEST OF INDIA SHOWING THE MUGHAL DEFEAT OF THE SULTAN OF DELHI AT THE BATTLE OF PANIPAT IN 1526
Archive World / Alamy Stock Photo
The illustrated history was prepared for the Mughal emperor Akbar in the late sixteenth century.
Which of the following best explains the process illustrated in the image?
(A) States increasingly relied on slave soldiers to establish large empires.
(B) The invention of the stirrup allowed expanding states to use cavalry more effectively.
(C) The development of new types of armor reduced casualties and allowed states to expand faster than before.
(D) States used gunpowder weapons to establish large empires.
D
BATTLE OF PANIPAT IN 1526
The methods of warfare shown in the image were instrumental in explaining the territorial expansion of all of the following land-based empires EXCEPT
(A) the Safavid Empire
(B) the Qing (Manchu) Empire
(C) the Aztec (Mexica) Empire
(D) the Ottoman Empire
C
Which of the following explains the most common effect that the process illustrated in the image had on relationships between states in Afro-Eurasia in the period 1450–1750 ?
(A) It led to deepening rivalries and conflicts as states’ military capabilities grew.
(B) It led to the emergence of new religious disputes over theological interpretations.
(C) It led to the establishment of pan-Eurasian nomadic empires, such as the Mongol Empire.
(D) It led to the adoption of feudal systems of government, as monarchs could not prevent the rising power of military aristocracies.
A
"Demonized as an enemy of the faith by the Muslim narrative sources, yet lionized as a warrior hero in the oral tradition, Sunni Ali, who reigned from 1464 to 1492, is one of the most controversial figures of the African Middle Ages. ... Relying on a swift and mobile cavalry force as well as on naval control of the Niger River, Sunni Ali had conquered the agriculturally rich central Niger or 'inland delta, including the wealthy and scholarly cities of Timbuktu and Jenne, by the 1470s... He was well aware that a vast empire could not be held together by military conquests alone, but needsed) an ef efficient administrative structure as well. Indeed, the organization of Songhay [Songhai) government which was developed to a great degree under Sunni Ali differed substantially from previous Sudanic patterns of empire. These had been based more on alliances and relationships with tributary states than on the high degree of centralization characteristic of Songhay [Songhai].""
J. Rotondo-McCord, "Kingdoms of the Medieval Sudan," Xavier University.
The Songhai Empire was like the empire of Japan because the Songhai
(A) created a strong central government to rule the empire
(B) expanded the territory under its control
(C) was ruled by a Muslim
(D) was the first empire to trade gold extensively
A
The Songhai Empire under Sunni Ali was different from the empire under Askia the Great because
(A) Sunni Ali made a pilgrimage to Mecca
(B) Askia used religion to legitimize his control
(C) Sunni Ali made Songhai the largest kingdom in West Africa
(D) Askia used zamindars to collect taxes
B
How did Askia the Great challenge Sunni Ali's legitimacy?
(A) He claimed Sunni Ali was a weak military commander.
(B) He questioned Sunni Ali's faithfulness to the principles of Islam.
(C) He established strong tributary ties that had more allegiances to him than to Sunni Ali.
(D) He reformed taxation policies throughout the kingdom.
B
ILLUSTRATION IN A MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN TO CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE OTTOMAN SULTAN SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT, CIRCA 1560
The Ottoman Empire’s recruitment of soldiers and bureaucrats through the system depicted in the image is most similar to which broader method that rulers used to strengthen their empires in the period 1450–1750 ?
(A) The collection of tribute
(B) Establishment of religious uniformity
(C) Abolition of feudal privileges
(D) The granting of autonomy to minority groups
A
The recruitment depicted in the image is best understood in the context of which of the following developments in the period 1450–1750 ?
(A) Attempts by imperial states to expand their economic power
(B) Attempts by imperial states to prevent religious conflict
(C) Attempts by imperial states to centralize their authority
(D) Attempts by imperial states to control population growth
C
The inclusion of the image in the manuscript best illustrates which of the following features of the period 1450–1750 ?
(A) Rulers using art as a way to communicate with their illiterate subjects
(B) Rulers using art to expand their territories
(C) Rulers using art as a way to increase literacy
(D) Rulers using art to legitimize their rule
D
"He is very valiant and has a great liking for warfare and weapons of war, which he has constantly in his hands: we have been eye-witnesses of this because, whenever we were with him, he was adjusting his swords), testing his [muskets), etc ... This is the great experience, which he has obtained of warfare over so many years, that he makes it in person and from the first has made him a fine soldier and very skilled, and his men so dexterous that they are little behind our men in Europe. He has introduced into his militia the use of and esteem for (muskets], in which they are very practiced. Therefore it is that his realm has been so much extended on all sides. . . All the above mentioned soldiers, who will total some 100,000, receive pay for the whole year,"
Father Simon, a European Roman Catholic priest, in a report to the pope on meeting the Safavid Shah Abbas I, 1588
Which claim about Father Simon's purpose for meeting Shah Abbas I is best supported by the above passage?
(A) Simon was impressed by the new technology used by the Safavids.
(B) Simon wanted the pope to know of the Safavids' military power.
(C) Simon hoped the pope would sell new weapons to the Safavids.
(D) Simon thought the Safavids could teach Europeans about how to
organize a military.
B
Which most strongly contributed to the historical development reflected in Father Simon's description of the Safavid military structure?
(A) Safavid intolerance for the Sunni population
(B) Mughal support for Sikhism
(C) Ottoman development of shariah
(D) the Thirty Years' War
A
This source supports the claim that the Safavids were similar to the Ottomans and the Mughals because all three
(A) used gunpowder weapons
(B) practiced identical religious beliefs
(C) organized empires using the same methods
(D) were ahead of the Europeans in military power
A
“To the count of Katzenellenbogen, Ziegenhain, and Nidda, my gracious lord.
Pope Leo X, in the bull in which he put me under the ban, condemned my statement that ‘to fight against the Turk is the same thing as resisting God, who visits our sin upon us with this rod.’ I still confess freely that this statement is mine. The popes and bishops called for war against the Turks in the name of Christ. Yet because Christ taught that Christians shall not resist evil with violence or take revenge, it is against His name.
In how many wars against the Turks have the bishops and clergy prevented Christians from enduring heavy losses? Indeed, the king of Hungary and his bishops were beaten by the Turks at Varna* and more recently a German army would perhaps have fought with more success, if it had not contained priests. If I were an emperor, a king, or a prince in a campaign against the Turks, I would encourage my bishops and priests to stay at home and mind the duties of their office, praying, fasting, saying mass, preaching, and caring for the poor, as not only Holy Scripture, but their own canon law teaches and requires. To this I say Amen, Amen.”
*a reference to a failed Christian Crusade launched against the Ottoman Turks in 1444
Martin Luther, German theologian, sermon addressed to a German prince, 1528
A historian interpreting the views expressed in the passage would likely explain that those views were most strongly influenced by Protestant desires to
(A) promote religious war against fellow Christians
(B) encourage the creation of a united German state free of papal influence
(C) demonstrate that an individual’s destiny was predetermined by God
(D) reform Christian society by adhering more closely to Biblical teachings
D
“To the count of Katzenellenbogen, Ziegenhain, and Nidda, my gracious lord.
Pope Leo X, in the bull in which he put me under the ban, condemned my statement that ‘to fight against the Turk is the same thing as resisting God, who visits our sin upon us with this rod.’ I still confess freely that this statement is mine. The popes and bishops called for war against the Turks in the name of Christ. Yet because Christ taught that Christians shall not resist evil with violence or take revenge, it is against His name.
In how many wars against the Turks have the bishops and clergy prevented Christians from enduring heavy losses? Indeed, the king of Hungary and his bishops were beaten by the Turks at Varna* and more recently a German army would perhaps have fought with more success, if it had not contained priests. If I were an emperor, a king, or a prince in a campaign against the Turks, I would encourage my bishops and priests to stay at home and mind the duties of their office, praying, fasting, saying mass, preaching, and caring for the poor, as not only Holy Scripture, but their own canon law teaches and requires. To this I say Amen, Amen.”
*a reference to a failed Christian Crusade launched against the Ottoman Turks in 1444
Martin Luther, German theologian, sermon addressed to a German prince, 1528
A historian could best explain the arguments made in the passage regarding the pope and the clergy in the context of Protestant claims that the Catholic Church
(A) had not adequately supported earlier Crusades against Muslims in the Holy Land
(B) had become corrupted by power
(C) had become too heavily influenced by Renaissance Humanism
(D) had failed to convert Muslims living in Europe to Christianity
B
“To the count of Katzenellenbogen, Ziegenhain, and Nidda, my gracious lord.
Pope Leo X, in the bull in which he put me under the ban, condemned my statement that ‘to fight against the Turk is the same thing as resisting God, who visits our sin upon us with this rod.’ I still confess freely that this statement is mine. The popes and bishops called for war against the Turks in the name of Christ. Yet because Christ taught that Christians shall not resist evil with violence or take revenge, it is against His name.
In how many wars against the Turks have the bishops and clergy prevented Christians from enduring heavy losses? Indeed, the king of Hungary and his bishops were beaten by the Turks at Varna* and more recently a German army would perhaps have fought with more success, if it had not contained priests. If I were an emperor, a king, or a prince in a campaign against the Turks, I would encourage my bishops and priests to stay at home and mind the duties of their office, praying, fasting, saying mass, preaching, and caring for the poor, as not only Holy Scripture, but their own canon law teaches and requires. To this I say Amen, Amen.”
*a reference to a failed Christian Crusade launched against the Ottoman Turks in 1444
Martin Luther, German theologian, sermon addressed to a German prince, 1528
A historian interpreting the passage would most likely explain that the audience of the sermon is an illustration of the fact that
(A) papal alliances with the Holy Roman emperors led to widespread religious persecutions in Germany
(B) the Protestant German nobility was wary of confronting the Ottomans without Catholic support
(C) political support from the German nobility aided in the development of the early Protestant community
(D) the Protestant German nobility adopted pacifist attitudes during religious disputes with their Catholic and Muslim opponents
C
“Scholars have been mesmerized by the huge extent of the present distribution of Bantu languages and could think of only a single process, an equally huge human migration, ‘the Bantu expansion,’ to explain it.... [This] scenario is fatally flawed, however, for two reasons. First it fell prey to the illusion that only a migration could fit the evidence.... [But] a language can spread without involving the migration of any communities. The second fatal error was to collapse a history which encompassed the developments of one to several millennia into a single migration event. The evidence shows that many different dispersals of single languages succeeded each other at different times, not continuously.”
Jan Vansina, historian, “New Linguistic Evidence and ‘the Bantu Expansion,’” scholarly article, 1995
All of the following statements are factually accurate. Which would best support the author’s argument in the passage?
(A) DNA evidence suggests human populations in western, central, and southern Africa share many similar genes.
(B) Linguistic evidence shows that several small groups in central and southern Africa continue to speak non-Bantu languages.
(C) Archaeological evidence suggests that iron metallurgy spread across sub-Saharan Africa in several distinct waves, separated by hundreds of years.
(D) Ethnographic evidence shows that many West African societies share common themes in their cultural and religious traditions.
C
“Scholars have been mesmerized by the huge extent of the present distribution of Bantu languages and could think of only a single process, an equally huge human migration, ‘the Bantu expansion,’ to explain it.... [This] scenario is fatally flawed, however, for two reasons. First it fell prey to the illusion that only a migration could fit the evidence.... [But] a language can spread without involving the migration of any communities. The second fatal error was to collapse a history which encompassed the developments of one to several millennia into a single migration event. The evidence shows that many different dispersals of single languages succeeded each other at different times, not continuously.”
Jan Vansina, historian, “New Linguistic Evidence and ‘the Bantu Expansion,’” scholarly article, 1995
In addition to languages, the peoples discussed in the passage are credited with the diffusion of which of the following in sub-Saharan Africa?
(A) Monumental architecture
(B) New agricultural techniques
(C) Nomadism
(D) Writing systems
D
“The East African coast was certainly known to the people of Arabia by the eighth century B.C.E. In fact, the ancient Southern Arabian state of Ausan traded extensively there and may have actually held a portion of the coast. Traders who reached the coast discovered a number of potentially valuable raw materials there. Among these were spices, tortoise shell, coconut oil, ivory, and later, gold and slaves.
It was not until almost 1000 C.E., however, that the first important commercial city-states emerged along the coast. These city-states fluctuated in wealth and prestige as they competed for coastal hegemony. Because of their way of life, they tended to have a broad regional perspective. Their destinies and fortunes were at least partly determined in distant lands by foreign merchants and rulers.
Information on early political aspects of East African states remains very limited. We know that they had kings or sultans, who wielded a good deal of power. Sultans were advised by councils of princes, elders, and members of the ruling household. It seems probable that the sultan and his close relatives controlled the religious and military offices of the state.”
Terry H. Elkiss, historian, “Kilwa Kisiwani: The Rise of an East African City-State,” article published in African Studies Review, a scholarly journal, 1973.
The example of an ancient Arabian state that traded extensively and controlled territories on the East African coast can best be used as evidence of
(A) the contributions of East Africa to the development of Eurasian religions
(B) the long-term continuities in state building in coastal East Africa
(C) the importance of the East African coast in the development of African national identities
(D) the technological and logistical challenges faced by Eurasian merchants trying to reach the East African coast
B
The interregional connections of states such as those on the East African coast can best be used as an illustration of the continued importance of which of the following?
(A) International diplomacy
(B) Polytheistic religions
(C) Long-distance trade
(D) Patriarchal gender norms
B
The coexistence of rulers and councils of elders in African states in the period circa 1200–1450 best demonstrates
(A) an attempt to imitate the feudal governments of European states and East Asian empires
(B) the influence of indigenous African political practices
(C) an adaptation to the climatic conditions of the East African coast
(D) a reflection of the hardships and uncertainties faced by Muslim seaborne traders
B
Image 1
Ivory tip for a king’s ceremonial scepter showing a female ancestor spirit, Kongo, western Africa, circa 1800
Image 2
Female figure on a crucifix, Kongo, western Africa, circa 1800
Taken together, the two images best support which of the following conclusions?
(A) New European technologies transformed African artistic traditions.
(B) African societies that practiced Christianity generally gave women greater political and cultural prominence than did African societies that practiced traditional religions.
(C) African societies combined a patriarchal power structure with cultural traditions that gave women a prominent place in social and cultural life.
(D) Women’s roles in African societies were shaped by the interaction between Christianity and Islam as the two religions spread in the region.
D
Source 1:
“[In the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries] Europeans derived more profit from their participation in trade within Asia than they did from their Asian imports into Europe. They were able to do so ultimately only thanks to their American silver. . . . Only their American money, and not any ‘exceptional’ European ‘qualities’ permitted the Europeans [to access Asian markets]. . . . However, even with that resource and advantage, the Europeans were no more than a minor player at the Asian, indeed world, economic table [until the nineteenth century].”
Andre Gunder Frank, ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age, 1996
Source 2:
“The societies of Europe had been at the margins of the great trading systems, but they were at the center of the global networks of exchange created during the sixteenth century because they controlled the oceangoing fleets that knit the world into a single system. Western Europe was better placed than any other region to profit from the vast flows of goods and ideas within the emerging global system of exchange. . . . [European states] were keen to exploit the commercial opportunities created within the global economic system. They did so partly by seizing the resources of the Americas and using American commodities such as silver to buy their way into the markets of southern and eastern Asia, the largest in the world.”
Which of the following best explains Europe’s ability to gain a greater share of global trade in the early modern period?
(A) Easing of tensions among European states
(B) Adoption and improvement of maritime technologies by Europeans
(C) Europeans’ increased interest in foreign languages and cultures
(D) Diffusion of European manufacturing technology and processes to Asia
B
Map 1
Map 2
(A) Expanding Chinese influence as a result of maritime voyages under the Ming dynasty
(B) Changes in fishing practices in the Indian Ocean
(C) Improved ship designs and navigational technologies
(D) Commercial decline in Europe as a result of the global cooling of climate known as the Little Ice Age
C
Some world historians have argued that the growth of European influence in the period 1450—1750 was due in large part to non-European inventions. The history of which of the following technological developments best supports this contention?
(A) The compass
(B) Silk weaving
(C) Steam power
(D) The stirrup
A
This model of a caravel shows some of the innovations that made ocean travel easier.
The specific technological innovation depicted here that improved deep water navigation was the
(A) compass
(B) upper deck oars
(C) astrolabe
(D) lateen sails
D
(A) the Black Sea
(B) the East African coastal city of Kilwa
(C) Constantinople
(D) the Indian Ocean
D
(A) Prince Henry
(B) Henry VIII
(C) Mehmed the Great
(D) Pope Urban II
A
Which of the following best explains a similarity between the earliest English and French voyages across the North Atlantic in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries?
(A) They succeeded despite receiving little support from their respective state governments.
(B) They were often launched in the hopes of finding alternative sailing routes to Asia.
(C) They were ended after encountering violent resistance from Portuguese and Spanish naval forces.
(D) They helped convince western European monarchies to abandon mercantilist policies in favor of free trade policies.
B
Which of the following best explains an effect of Spanish voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in Europe in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries?
(A) They encouraged many governments to expand the use of coerced labor in Europe.
(B) They led to the rapid spread of epidemic diseases such as smallpox.
(C) They greatly increased interest in transoceanic travel and trade in other European countries.
(D) They led to the introduction of new staple crops such as sugar.
C
“When we were in Canton, a port in southern China, we came across a woman who cried out in Portuguese ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.’ And because she could speak no more of our language, she very earnestly asked us in Chinese to tell her whether we were Christians. We replied that we were, and for proof we repeated all the rest of the Lord’s Prayer which she had left unsaid. Being assured that we were Christians, she pulled us aside, and weeping said to us, ‘Come along, Christians from the other end of the world, with your true sister in the faith of Jesus Christ.’
Furthermore, she told us that she was named Inez de Leyria, and her father was a great ambassador from Portugal to the Emperor of China. The ambassador married her mother, a Chinese woman, and made her a Christian. Along with her, many were converted to the faith of Christ.
During the five days we remained in her house, we made them a little book in Chinese, containing many good prayers.”
Account of Fernão Mendes Pinto, Portuguese explorer and merchant, circa
The ability of Portuguese merchants and explorers to communicate with the local population of Canton was most likely an effect of which of the following?
(A) Mandarin had replaced Cantonese as the primary spoken language in southern China.
(B) Migrations and commercial contacts led to the use of printing in southern China.
(C) Portuguese merchants had established trading posts in southern China.
(D) Portuguese had replaced Arabic and Persian as the language of trade in southern China.
C
Which of the following was the most immediate effect of the Portuguese establishment of a school for navigation in the 1400s?
(A) The development of overseas trade between West Africa and Europe
(B) The establishment of regular trade contacts between Europe and the Americas
(C) The decline of Venetian control of the trade in Asian luxury goods
(D) The establishment of direct overseas trade links between India and Europe
A
Which of the following best explains a similar motivation behind the establishment of Portuguese trading posts in Africa and the establishment of Portuguese trading posts in Asia?
(A) The trading posts in both regions were intended to prevent economic collapse following the disintegration of powerful local empires.
(B) The trading posts in both regions were intended to facilitate commercial cooperation between European states.
(C) The trading posts in both regions were intended to facilitate the transfer of slaves to the Americas.
(D) The trading posts in both regions were intended to allow the Portuguese to control access to heavily trafficked maritime routes.
D
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Flashcard (20)